For the most part, we’ve been impressed with the efforts of local government entities to follow the Kansas Open Meetings Act.

It hasn’t been especially easy.

Almost overnight — thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and a state-issued stay-at-home order in March — cities, school boards and counties were confronted with a challenge. They still needed to be transparent and at the same time limit meetings to 10 or fewer people properly spaced. In case they didn’t take the charge seriously,

In case they didn’t take the charge seriously, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt issued this warning:

“Nothing in state law allows for the suspension of the KOMA or its open government requirements. In fact, in times like these, it’s more important than ever to ensure government remains open and accessible so Kansans are able to observe and understand how responses to an emergency situation are being developed.”

Kansas law requires meetings of public bodies be “open to the public.” Ordinarily, that requirement is satisfied by public bodies meeting in public spaces where taxpayers are allowed to enter and observe. In this case, even the smallest of communities has been forced to turn to technology to meet the demands of the law. Meetings of the Ellsworth City Council, for instance, are available on Zoom and Facebook Live.

The “new normal” has worked for the most part. The only glitch we’re aware of came earlier this month when two county commissioners apparently talked about a burn ban on the telephone outside an official meeting. The commission continues to meet in person.

Advertising director Alan Rusch spoke with one of the commissioners and our hope is it won’t happen again. A burn ban, like so many other issues that pass through the courthouse on a weekly basis, affect the lives of every citizen in Ellsworth County. We deserve to know how decisions are being made — virus or no virus.

The attorney general is right. It has never been more important.